The Pentagon Press Association, the group that represents reporters who cover the Department of Defense, asked the agency Monday to reconsider its demand that reporters acknowledge a new policy that would penalize those who solicit information from military officials, arguing it would “appear to violate the First Amendment.”
“This Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release,” the group said in a new statement. “Our members did nothing to create this disturbing situation. It arises from an entirely one-sided move by Pentagon officials apparently intent upon cutting the American public off from information they do not control and pre-approve — information concerning such issues as sexual assault in the military, conflicts of interest, corruption, or waste and fraud in billion-dollar programs.”
The statement comes as a bevy of news outlets have said their reporters would not agree to the new policies on First Amendment grounds, which would mean their Pentagon journalists — from the likes of CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post and others — would no longer have access to a building some of them have worked out of for decades. The policy requires reporters to acknowledge that they would not engage in “solicitation” with military officials or risk their access to the building.
It was an escalation of its increasingly tight-strung policies that came after news organizations rebuked one that demanded reporters not publish information not authorized for public release. It reflects the tenuous relationship the Trump administration has had with the press, which has extended to the White House Briefing Room and federal courtrooms, and the steady stream of leaks that have emerged since.
The Pentagon pointed to an earlier Monday statement from chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who said that outlets were having “a full-blown meltdown” and “crying victim online.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also responded on X to news outlets’ statements on the policy with a hand-waving emoji, seemingly saying goodbye.
The Pentagon Press Association said on Monday it has not made any unified recommendation to its members, instead letting each news organization make its own decision. “The PPA, however, continues to question why the problematic new acknowledgment is necessary,” it said.
It offered a fact sheet detailing past policies for journalists who’ve covered the Pentagon, explaining a longstanding requirement to wear badges (another new addition to the building’s press restrictions) and how access has always been limited to unclassified spaces. The group also noted how no other agency in the executive branch, such as the White House or State Department, requires a similar acknowledgment.
“The Pentagon certainly has the right to make its own policies, within the constraints of the law,” it said. “There is no need or justification, however, for it to require reporters to affirm their understanding of vague, likely unconstitutional policies as a precondition to reporting from Pentagon facilities.”
“There is simply no need for this battle,” it added. “The Pentagon has no reason for the new acknowledgment other than to chill both reporters and their sources — something many of our members cannot abide.”
